Match Report

Merry Christmas one and all. Wishing you all a jolly festive period and a Happy New Year. Hope everyone’s Christmas wishes come true. I’ve already written to Santa asking for an unbeaten 2nd half of the season, and for Jennifer Ellison, hoping one of these comes true!

A good performance again, but again we lacked the execution and confidence to capitalise on our good play. We played with determination and purpose but just lacked the composure in front of goal to get the result that our endeavour deserved.

Friday night and a certain player who will stay unnamed was bending my ear discussing tactics with the fire and passion of a young Roy Keane. A strange sensation started to well through me at this point, something I hadn’t felt for a while, not that!!! But confidence, a feeling that this week we will win, the players will be up for it and work hard for the win.

So to Saturday, the usual suspects turn up early and the same faces stroll in with half hour before kick off. Des’s plan was set and off we went for match, all kitted out in FOBG colours. A slow stroll up after the players ran out and they all start coming back down, the opposition weren’t that scary were they? Or had Des organised cheerleaders from the local OAP’s home?? All was ok, only a change in kit needed, to the grey kit it was.

We lined up with Stephen Tanner in goal (now Ben Duffy, if you want goal keeper soap opera you should look at our continual changing of keepers!!) back four of Ryan McGibbon, Steve Blanchard, Jason Blay and Mark Friend, midfield of George Hillman, Jon Blay, Dan Head, Djan Akwasi and Tom Hughes with Liam Hillman playing the lone striker. With Rod Stoyle, Mark Doyle and Jon Lakin on the bench we were very confident, having to turn down two players on the day and myself the optimism was there.

The game was competitive with our midfield battling hard when they didn’t have the ball and when we had it looked threatening, spreading the ball wide. The defence looked assured, so assured that Mark thought he’d try and break our keeper''s ribs to make it more interesting.

It was a much improved performance with several chances being created but not being taken and our defence and midfield restricting Old Colf’s to a few long range efforts. There was only ever going to be one goal in the game and when Dan broke clear I thought we had it, but it wasn’t to be (so I snapped the linesman’s flag in half, management is a stressful business, starting to go grey already!). A few rolls of the dice and it wasn’t to be, a gutting defeat. Let''s take heart from our performance, everyone was committed and we created chances to win the game.

We are a young team, still learning the game and each other’s games, we have shown a huge improvement over the last couple of weeks, with people now starting to realise their individual responsibilities within the team.

Man of the match went to three players, a sign of how well the team played not just one individual. Thanks to all who stayed behind for some drinks, a good night was had by everyone.

After Match Report:

With lots of jugs and a Christmas meal of crisps the night was set, we had lots to drink with Tom making a schoolboy error - "you got something dribbling down your lip still...". The move of the night was Dan''s purchase of a jug, when everyone called him back to say we had one, the old head of the team gave him the jug saying "you forgot to take the jug", thus ensuring the alcohol flowed...

Everyone enjoyed themselves and filled the till up nicely for Vic.

We should make Tom have a few pints before the game due to his feistyness after the smell of booze!